Leonard Hamilton and his staff made it very clear to their young team over the summer. They had to play better defense — much better defense — if they wanted to have a successful season.

Before the team began summer practices, the Florida State men's basketball staff put defensive statistics on a white dry-erase board in front of the team's meeting room. They pointed out last year's stats from a team that finished 18-16 overall and 9-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Then they showed the group, which includes seven second-year players and a freshman, the defensive statistics from some of Hamilton's most successful teams.

In his 27th season as a head basketball coach, and 12th year leading FSU, Hamilton's teams have become known for their "Junkyard D" defensive system and long shot-blocking centers.

But after four consecutive seasons of finishing in the top 11 nationally for both field-goal percentage defense and blocked shots per game, the Seminoles' streak came to an abrupt end last season.

FSU fell to 221st in field-goal percentage defense and 26th in blocked shots.

Entering tonight's final non-conference game against Charleston Southern (5-6), the Seminoles (8-3) are back in the top 11 of both categories.

"There was no doubt that we had to improve in those areas in order for us to be successful," Hamilton said. "We pointed that out to them — loud and clear."

The Seminoles, who are holding opponents to 37.4 percent shooting, are currently ranked No. 9 in field goal-percentage defense and No. 11 in blocked shots per game.

"Last year it woke us up for real as far as defense," sophomore guard Aaron Thomas said. "Last year we were like 220-something in the country, and that's not what Florida State's known for on defense."

When the Seminoles won the ACC championship in 2011, their .363 mark in field-goal percentage defense not only led the nation, but was the best in the ACC since 1960 — a span of more than 50 years. This FSU team has held three of its last four opponents below 36 percent shooting. In the team's most recent victory over UMass., the Seminoles held the Minutemen to 33.3 percent shooting and had a season-high 12 blocks.

"Everyone was surprised at the stats, because they kept preaching about last year how bad we were," senior forward Okaro White said. "We're taking pride in our defense this year."

The team credits their summer trip to Greece, during which they practiced and played with the country's national team, for their improved chemistry on the court.

"Those guys were professionals and we were playing actual team-D against them," Thomas said. "So we feel like we can do it against them, we can do it against anybody. We've just stuck with it from that point on."

Coming off impressive victories over Charlotte and UMass., prior to the team's week-long holiday break, the Seminoles say it is important to keep the defensive momentum going as they wrap up their non-conference schedule tonight against the Buccaneers.

"We're still not where we want to be," White said. "We want to be No. 1 (defensively). So we've got to work to get there."

FSU opens ACC play Saturday at home against Virginia.

"We were picked to finish ninth (in the conference)," Hamilton said. "We don't have any plans to be in that position."